THE HAYES FAMILY of London

This family has proved difficult to pursue beyond 1861 as the research has been revolving around my great great grandfather, Henry Hayes, born in Manchester abt 1833 but who moved at some point to London and became a Cab Man. Although it appears that he married twice, neither marriage can be found; it is very likely that he didn’t in fact marry either of his “wives” and hence, so his father’s name remains a mystery. And as he didn’t have any sons, there is no clue there as to a potential father’s name.

The only clue I have is with the only Henry that I can find in the 1861 census of London before his first “marriage” that was born in Manchester, as all his later census entries state. He is with a mother Elizabeth Taylor also born in Lancashire, married with other Taylor children but no husband at home. When I looked back to the 1851 census, I find her husband is Elijah Taylor, a guitarist. Their marriage stated: Elizabeth Hayes, widow, formerly Braben married Elijah Taylor, widower, musician on 22nd February, 1847 at Manchester 1. Elizabeth’s father was Samuel Braben an engineer. I have managed to trace Elizabeth’s birth and much on the Brabens. I have found Elijah in the 1841 census living at Preston; a musician aged 25 and he appears to be married to Ann aged 20. However, I cannot be certain as to Elizabeth’s first husband or whether Henry was born by the 1841 census or not. His age varies throughout the censuses, so he could have been born as early as 1837 or as late as 1841. If anyone has any knowledge the following Taylor family, or any further information on the Henry that was with them, please get in touch as I am stuck as this brick wall.

Elijah Taylor and Elizabeth’s children are as follows (gleaned from the census returns 2):

At the time of he 1851 census they were living at 17 Bucker Square, Southwark 2. Henry was 10 and named Taylor in this census. in 1861, however, at 7 Bronti Place, Walworth, Newington, he was called Henry Hayes and Elijah was not at home. The only Elijah Taylor I could find in 1861 of the right age, was in Salford Prison, but he was a mason and turns out to be living with his family in 1871, so this cannot be him. Elizabeth died on the 3rd November, 1966 at 29 George Street, Walworth, the widow of Elijah, a vocalist 1. I have not been able to find what happened to Elijah.

So, that is the theory of Henry’s early life; now for what I am more certain about. Henry Hayes was a Cab man. He appeared to have married Emily Mills at some time before 1871. At the time of the 1871 census, they were living at 8 Margaret Street, Clerkenwell, with daughters, Mary A, Letitia and Betsy. Mary was 11 but as I hadn’t been able to find them together in 1861, I was beginning to think that perhaps he had a different wife at that time. The only clue to the early family was a marriage of Letitia Boyd to Thomas Burge in 1885 and this was significant as in 1891 they had living with them a niece Adelaide Elizabeth Hayes born in 1890, who we knew was the illegitimate daughter of Martha Adelaide, daughter of Henry born 1871. Having been very confused, it was pointed out to me that Letitia Boyd may have been the daughter of an earlier marriage of Emily Mills. This was investigated and found to be the case.

Emily Mills (daughter of James Mills, bootmaker, and Martha) was born in about 1839 in the St. Giles/Covent garden area. She married James Adam Boyd, Ostler (born 1832) on 23rd November, 1857 at Old Church, St. Pancras. They had the following children:

[nb Naming patterns may be a clue here as Martha was Emily’s mother’s name, so it may be reasonable to assume that Elizabeth was Henry’s?]

At the time of the 1881 Census they were living at 12 Union Square, St. James, Clerkenwell 2. Emily died in 1887 aged 47. Her death was registered at Holborn under her married name of Emily Boyd. At some point between then and the time of the 1891 census Henry appears to have remarried, although again, no marriage has been found. He is found in 1891 living at 101 Pentonville Road, Clerkenwell2 with “wife” Elizabeth, a step-daughter Janet Redding (a tailor’s assistant aged 16) and a step-son J.T. Redding aged 11.

By looking back to 1881, it appears that Elizabeth Hall had been married in 1866 to WilliamReading/Redding, a cab driver and at that time they had lived in Sidney Grove, very close to Henry Hayes and Emily. It appears that William died in late 1885, aged 44 and was buried at Islington cemetery on 4th December, 1885 4. It is very likely that he had been a work colleague/friend of Henry. Henry become step-father to these children of Elizabeth and William’s:

In 1901 Henry and Elizabeth were living at 35 Luard St, Private, Islington, together with Janet Maud, tailoress who was now become Mrs Billing. Henry died on 6th December, 1910 aged 77 at Islington1 and was buried at Islington cemetery (plot Z/15546) 3,4. Elizabeth was living as a Charwoman in at the time of the 1911 census at 16 Rhodes Street, Holloway 2 and she appears to have died aged 74 in 1918 5 at Higate Hill Infirmary and was also buried at Islington cemetery on 2nd October, 1918 4. Although she died using the name Hayes, there is still no evidence of them ever having married.

Emily Elizabeth Boyd married William Wright in 1877 at Islington. He was a cab washer and may well have worked with Henry Hayes. In the 1881 census William, Emma [Emily] and 2 sons William and Freddy were living at 16 Storey Street, London with Emily’s brother James Boyd, a Costermonger 2.

Letitia Boyd is the only one of Henry’s step-daughters that we know much about. When she was 16, at the time of the 1881 census she was living as a servant with James Mason, a Coffee House keeper and his family at 44 Theberton Street, London 2. She married Thomas Burge, a carpenter in 1885 at Islington. Her half sister Martha (born 1871) had given birth to a daughter in 1890 called Adelaide Elizabeth Hayes and this child was living with Letitia and her husband in 1891 aged only 8 months a niece. It appears that, for whatever reason, Adelaide stayed with Letitia although Martha herself married in 1895. In the 1901 census, a 10 year old Adelaide was “daughter” of Letitia and Thomas. She would not have been legally adopted as this only began in 19267, but she could have been permanently placed by the Guardians of the Poor or by Public Assistance bodies. Or Letitia could simply have had an agreement with her sister to bring Adelaide up as her own. Letitia died in 1942 in Essex aged 765.

Betty Hayes 1868-1957

Adelaide married Arthur Payne at West Ham in 1914.

Betty Hayes, born in 1868 married William Carrington, a saddler major in the June quarter of 1887 at Cheslsea. I found them on the 1891 census living at 20 East Street, Marylebone where William was a private, “2nd Lte Bombadiers”. In the 1901 census they are found living at Regents Park barracks, Albany Street 2. Then in 1911 they were living at 6 Vansittart Road, Clewer, Windsor, Berks, William being an army pensioner and tailor 2. They appear not to have had any children. From the BMDs I have deduced that William died aged 90 on 25th August, 1955 at 1 The Ramblers, Oakley Green, Windsor, Berks6 and Elizabeth died aged 88 on 25th April 1957 at 97 Vansittart Road, Windsor 5, She left her effects to her niece, Elvira Selsby, daughter of her sister Rebecca6.

Martha Adelaide Hayes 1871 – 1934

Martha Adelaide Hayes was a 20 year old servant by the time of the 1891 census, living at 8 Dinsmore Terrace, Fulham. As previously stated, she was at this time the mother of Adelaide Elizabeth Hayes born eight months earlier at Marylebone. Her daughter was being cared for by her sister Letitia. Martha went on to marry Alfred Philip Howesin 1895 at St. Pancras but he appears to have died in 1900 at St. Giles 5. In the 1901 census she was a 27 year old widow living at 8 Calsen yard, St. Pancras working as a lady’s domestic help 2. At the time of the 1911 census Martha was living with her sister Louisa Streatfield in Highbury and then in June of 1911 she married William Edward Briggs at Islington. William died on 1st December, 1929 at Westcliffe-on-sea where they had been living at 301 Hamlet Court Road 6. Martha died aged 64 in 1934 at Edmonton 5.

Louisa Maria Hayes 1875 – 1959

Lousia Hayes, my great grandmother, was a tailor’s assistant, aged 15 and living with her father Henry in Clerkenwell in 1891. She married my great grandfather, Robert Charles Streatfield on 29th May, 1898 at Clerkenwell. At the time of the 1901 census they were living at 37 Granville Road, Walthamstow, Essex with their 10 month old child Emily Florence, at the home of her sister-in-law.

Please see the Streatfield family history for details of their children.

Rebecca Amelia Hayes b 1879

Rebecca Hayes at age 20 was a domestic servant living at 92 Brighton Road, Hornsey at the time of the 1901 census 2.In June of 1901 Rebecca married Charles Edward Thickpenny born in 1879 Newport Pagnell. They had a daughter Dorothy May Thickpenny soon after their marriage. Charles, however, died the following year in 1902 5. Then in September of 1909 Rebecca married a German-born clerk Johan George Ketterer, who was also widowed (his previous marriage was to Esther Butler from Australia who died in 1906). Johan had 3 children from his previous marriage; Wilhelm Heinrich, Elsa Margaretha and Leonora Ida. Rebecca and Johan had a daughter Elvera Winifred Ketterer in 1909.

George Ketterer died in in 1937 at Hackney aged 75 6. From electoral records it is believed that Rebecca lived at 18 Woodlea Road until 1952 with her daughter Elvera and then at 47 Cocksett Avenue, Orpington until 1965. I can find no record of her death.